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The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

A Nike advertisement featuring former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Nike saw a 31% uptick in sales after the Kaepernick-centered advertising campaign.

Social justice transforms sports

by Varsha Rammohan and Gloria Zhu October 17, 2018

In light of recent events regarding Nike’s campaign featuring former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Serena Williams’ controversial defeat at the 2018 U.S. Open, sports fans and activists worldwide...

Members of the spirit team bow down to the eagle at the school meeting on Sep. 26. This new eagle costume is a recent addition to the upper school spirit arsenal, concurrent with the opening of the athletic center in September 2017.

Put your eagles up: eagle mascot and logo amplify spirit on campus

by Ryan Guan, Jessie Wang, and Muthu Panchanatham October 17, 2018

A school meeting drones on, students slowly slipping into Morpheus’s embrace, when, out of the blue, a shout rends the air, stirring them out of their stupor. “PUT YOUR EAGLES UP!” The sound...

Varsity boys water polo captain Matthew Hajjar (12) reaches for the ball during a game against Monta Vista. The council  includes both junior varsity and varsity team leaders from all Harker sports.

Captains’ Council established, holds first meeting

by Aditya Singhvi, Sports Editor October 17, 2018

The captain’s council, a group of about 50 athletic captains and other emerging team leaders, met for the first time on Sept. 18. The council, led by athletic director Dan Molin, volleyball coach...

Kick back with Kushal: Another season lost for the 49ers?

Kick back with Kushal: Another season lost for the 49ers?

by Kushal Shah, Columnist October 17, 2018

A few weeks ago, my hopes and dreams were slashed. The unexpected happened. The unforeseen happened. The heart-breaking happened. Jimmy Garoppolo, the young buck who the 49ers were going to ride to the...

Lilly Anderson (12) performs a flip during a halftime cheer performance during the homecoming game. Cheer held their senior night yesterday at 6:45 before the home football game against Oakland Military Institute.

Cheer: Behind the scenes

by Sara Yen, Asst. Features Editor October 14, 2018

“High kicks!” a captain shouts to the three rows of cheerleaders facing her, leading stretches in the mirrored brightly-lit practice room. Following the captain, the cheerleaders rapidly swing their...

With about two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Siddharth Dudyala (11) catches a 37-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Meissner (12) to advance the ball to the Lobos' 2-yard line. Although a Lobos interception thwarted Harker from converting from the red zone, they still ended the first half with a 21-0 lead.

Homecoming 2018: The game in pictures

by Aditya Singhvi, Kathy Fang, and Nicole Chen October 6, 2018

The Eagles dominated the Lobos from Elsie Allen High for a shutdown 56-0 victory yesterday night in front of a large homecoming crowd, bringing their overall record to 5-2. Defensive back Giovanni...

Olivia Guo (10) watches on after hitting the ball. Led by captain Katelyn Vo (11), the girls won a convincing 196-261 victory. Freshman Sophie Zhang Murphy shot par at 36, Katelyn followed with a 39 and Natalie Vo (10) and Olivia both shot 40.

Varsity Girls Golf wins against Sacred Heart Prep, maintains streak

by Anthony Xu, TALON Co-Academics Editor October 1, 2018

The varsity girls golf team won its match 196-261 against Sacred Heart Preparatory at Sharon Heights Country Club last Monday, bringing their overall record to 5-0. The girls were coming off of a 4-0...

Zachary Wong (right) dribbles past an opposing defender as Maria Vazhaeparambil (10), #80, sets a screen. Seven Harker high-schoolers played together on one of the eight teams in the tournament: seniors Prameela Kottapalli, Akhila Ramigiri and Zach Wong; juniors Haley Arena, Kaidi Dai and Sara Lynn Sullivan; and sophomore Maria Vazhaeparambil.

Upper school hosts Hi5 Youth Fundraiser

by Anna Vazhaeparambil, Reporter September 23, 2018

An India-based non-profit group hosted a basketball event at Harker last weekend to spread awareness of the organization among local high schoolers. In an effort to broaden their reach to America, the...

Nilisha Baid (10) and her horse Manny jump over a hurdle. After years of developing skills and enjoying horses, Nilisha joined the competitive program for horseback riding last year.

Alternate Sports: The unconventional aspect of non-traditional sports doesn’t make them any less valuable

by Saloni Shah, Columnist and Assistant Humans of Harker Editor September 20, 2018

Sweat dripping in a constant stream down their exhausted faces and feet pounding across the lush, green field in an attempt to catch the flying disc, a group of teenage boys and girls laugh while playing...

Ethan (right) faces off against another fencer at practice. A fencing bout in foil occurs in three rounds of three minutes each, with victory being awarded to the first person to reach 15 points.

Apex: Sophomore fencer plays chess with knives

by Aditya Singhvi, Sports Editor September 20, 2018

On a raised stage in St. Louis, surrounded by referees, cameras and supporters, two fencers, clad in silver and white armor, stand perfectly still, blades raised, in anticipation for the final point...

Emma Dione (10) dives for the ball as Michelle Ning (10) watches on. The varsity girls volleyball team defeated Westmont in four sets on Friday, the respective scores being 25-22, 18-25, 25-11 and 25-15.

Varsity girls volleyball defeats Westmont in four sets

by Nina Gee, Staff Illustrator September 10, 2018

The varsity girls volleyball team defeated Westmont in four sets on Friday, the respective scores being 25-22, 18-25, 25-11 and 25-15. This brings their overall record to 5-3. The Eagles started out...

Lineman and captain Ayush Vyas (12) celebrates after Harker's 26-2 win. "We’ve had some great games so far and we’re showing that we can compete with anybody out there," Ayush said. "A little slow start to the year, but we’ve bounced back and I think last year was just motivation for us to keep going this year and play harder."

Football cruises to a 26-2 victory over Marina

by Aditya Singhvi, Sports Editor September 9, 2018

The varsity football team cruised to a smooth 26-2 victory against the Marina High School Mariners on Friday night, bringing the Eagles’ record to 3-1 for the season and extending their streak to three...

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